Why I Skipped Class to Blog Today

OKAY. Some of you might think, what are you doing? Go to class, it's important! While others might think, you skipped class to blog? WOW! You're awesome!

Honestly, I am glad you think I'm awesome, but for those who think I should have gone to class, let me break it down for you.

First of all, its Calculus. Being a computer science and finance major and economics minor, you can never seem to get away from math. But, Calculus, please keep me away from it. We are not friends.

While in class, I feel extremely lost and helpless. I wander off thinking of ways to improve my businesses and my blog. I think of everything besides limits and functions. I can do my homework after hours of frustration and pass the quizzes and tests, but I still do not understand the subject.

Regardless, this blog post is not about my Calculus class, it's about the fact that I am constantly at a crossroads for what I actually want to do because classes that I am required to take to graduate get in the way.

Someone pointed out to me that most people pursue a Bachelor's Degree in order to find a job and transition into starting a career, but that's not what I want  to do so why am I doing this?

I do not want to get a job or start a career. I'm an entrepreneur. I want to create jobs and careers for others. I want to be the business owner of xyz business and I've set out to make a difference.

Truth is, I'm scared. I'm scared to let go of learning and fully transition into full-time blogger and business owner. And how could it not be scary? The world is a scary place when you don't know what direction you're going in or where you'll end up.

My plan when enrolling at Montclair State University was that I would learn as much as I can about computer science, finance, and economics so I can start a software development company one day and eventually start a bank (my ultimate entrepreneurial endeavor) and along the way experience life as a college student, blog, run my businesses, make money and graduate feeling as if I have a good grasp as to what I'm getting myself into.

I skipped class to blog today because I need to get this out there. I need to understand why I feel this way and hope I'm not the only entrepreneur on the planet who feels this way. I skipped class because figuring out my ultimate life goal and defining a clear picture for it is far more important to me than attending my Calculus class. At least - that's how I feel today.

Have you ever found yourself at a crossroads between something you are required to do and something you want to do? Have you ever just wanted to sit down and think about where you're going and how you're going to get there?

Right Place at the Right Time

In every business or entrepreneurship course I have taken, the instructor has always mentioned being in the "right place at the right time." 

Lately, I have been thinking about how this phrase applies to my own life and all the goals I have as an entrepreneur. 

It all started when I was watching episode 22 of season 4 of How I Met Your Mother the other day and it was titled "Right Place, Right Time."

The whole theme of this episode and one of the wonderful reoccurring themes of the show is the idea that the universe has a plan that's constantly in motion. That one day you could step outside and you're life could change forever. 

In the words of Ted Mosby, "All these little parts of the machine constantly working, making sure that you end up exactly where you're supposed to be, exactly when you're supposed to be there. The right place at the right time." 

It made me think of where I was at this point in my life and where on earth I  was going to go?

I know I seem like I have it all figured out, but perhaps I don't feel that way anymore and it has gotten me thinking really long and hard. 

People like me are constant warriors. We're warriors because we fight everything - we fight for what we believe in, we fight for our dreams, we fight for support, we fight those who try to tear us down, we fight the rules, and most importantly we fight ourselves (which is usually half the battle) because we know we can make change happen. 

But, even though those are conscious choices we make and actions we take. Somehow it's all part of a plan. A plan that slowly unfolds as life goes on. 

I just wish I could understand where all of this is taking me. Will everything I do today make me happy tomorrow? Where should I stand prepared so I can be there at the right place at the right time?

Am I the only one who feels this way? Any thoughts?

Reflections on Small Businesses and Corporate Franchises

I have taken quite a few entrepreneurship classes over the past year. In high school, I took a class that spoke towards all aspects of entrepreneurship and I loved it. I was set on becoming an entrepreneur. My first semester of college I took two different entrepreneurship courses. One class focused on the type of a person an entrepreneur must be and how to spark imagination and creativity and act upon it. It was awesome! It expanding my knowledge on what entrepreneurship really is. The other course took ideas and turned them into proven business concepts. These courses excited me and motivated me to become the entrepreneur I want to be.

The other day, I was grabbing a latte at a Dunkin' Donuts near the train station after work. I've stopped by this location several times and every day I see the same employees with a smile on their face while serving customers with respect and I see customers returning the positive gratitude as well.      

I frequent many coffee shops, but this one felt special. I realized how more often than not, those that work in retail, fast food chains, and corporate franchises, either put up a front to seem positive and courteous or stay within their company's means without going the extra mile for customers. I understand it though, each location no matter what the company sells probably gets thousands of customers a day and going the extra mile for every single one, every single time must be hard.

But, when I realized how well this coffee franchise was doing in this location, I reflected on corporate franchises. What inspires these employees to exude a love and respect for their job that leaves each customer genuinely happy? They seem to be working even harder than other franchises to make a brand that is not even theirs more memorable without a reward.

In the entrepreneurship course that explored topics between the type of person an entrepreneur must be, our class had a discussion on what it means to be autotelic. From it's dictionary definition, having an autotelic mindset means to find a purpose within itself.

It's a hard concept to grasp and implement in one's life. Like anything, it takes practice to master.

Putting yourself in the mindset to feel as if you are fulfilling a purpose in everything you do keeps you mentally positive and determined to generate outstanding results.

When you own a small business and need to play all roles within the business; customer service, salesman, marketer, promotor, and the face of the company, it is very challenging to find purpose in everything you have to do to keep your business up and running and your clientele genuinely satisfied.

You have to work hard and it won't pay off until the very end.

My point is sometimes we don't focus on the wonderful energy people put into starting a small business or running a corporate franchise. It's not easy to feel purposeful in such competitive industry.

The next time you are served with a genuine smile and great customer service, remember to thank them for doing a great job! 

I am NOT a Complex Person...

Anyone who has been a continued reader of my blog or anyone who has regular conversations with me on a daily basis knows that from the very beginning I have always been a person of complexity. I think complex thoughts, create complex ideas, and just enjoy the depths and meaning that this complexity gives me. I define myself with the word complex, not mature, not wise...complex.

Just recently, I came to a discovery. I am not complex at all. Just human. 

It all started in the beginning of high school. Freshman year. I was still in the process of understanding more about myself and I had a few different groups of friends I accompanied myself with. One group of friends was a trio of punk/rock band-loving girls who wore dark make-up, wore band branded t-shirts & ripped jeans, and had a new piercing on their face every other week. I wasn't a fan of punk/rock music and I did not own anything in my closet that was even remotely similar to their style, but I somehow still managed to create a place for myself in the group. As a matter of fact when I used to hang out with this group of friends, while they were all wearing black and white, I stood out in a pretty pink blouse and plain ol' jeans. 

Another group of friends did not actually have a distinct type of profile which I can describe. This group of friends dressed similar to me, liked some of the music I liked, and never wore much make-up. Ironically, although I had more in common with this group of friends, I spent most of my time with the other groups of friends.

The last group of friends I used to accompany myself with can only be described as outgoing. This group was very social and liked to go out a lot whether that would be hanging out the mall or going to a social gathering, or grabbing ice cream. This group would always have something going on. Beyond that, this group of friends always advised and encouraged me while the other groups could not influence me so positively. 

Now at the end of Senior year with graduation less than a month away, I can see how I have grown so much. 

Slowly, I lost all three groups of friends. The first group of friends...gone at the end of Freshman year. The last group...gone at the end of Sophomore year. And the second group...gone just recently. Since Freshman year, I haven't had the "I fit-in everywhere feeling" because I didn't. I lost these group of friends and ultimately kept one best friend throughout the years who was not involved in any of these groups. 

I learned that I was building myself to be a complex person. As if being a part of such diverse groups of people made me well-rounded. But, the truth is...it didn't make me well-rounded at all because with any group of friends, I was still the same person. No group of friends influenced me as much as I influenced myself. Throughout all of high school, instead of wondering if I would be accepted, I inserted myself everywhere. Doing that showed me that in the very end I was not meant to be part of a group. I was meant to stand alone with one person by my side. I am not a complex person, I see. I am a human being...just being me. 

Being Friendly VS. Being a Friend

A recent Instagram Photo. Follow me on Instagram: @ZobiaAlvi

If you know me in person, you might think I am reserved. If you read my blog or get to know me beyond the "need-to-know" basis you'll realize I'm not so reserved after all. You'd also know that although I play nice in person, I don't have too many friends.

If I blog about my friends, I usually talk about my best friend (who is my only true friend) or my "so-called" friends who really aren't so true to me at the end of the day.

On a daily basis, I am pretty much a friendly person. I'll converse with you, share insights, help you out as well as I can, and try to please you in any way I see fit. You can come to me with one problem, a million problems, or just say hello and I won't push you away. Trust me, I like knowing I could be useful to someone by just being an ear to listen.

And if nothing else, I like talking to people. Sometimes people actually have something interesting to say.

Being a friend means sharing the mutual feeling of comfort, trust, and loyalty.

Being friendly is a means that could lead to being a friend, but simply doesn't cut it to the edge.

I have always been friendly, not often that I become a friend.

Are you always being friendly or being a friend?

Accepting That Life is Not Perfect...

One of the hardest thing a perfectionist comes to learn is that life is just not perfect no matter how hard one tries to make it so.

Being a perfectionist, I've come to the conclusion that life will not be perfect, but I have found a loop hole.

All these imperfections that get in my way on a daily basis do not have to be looked upon as negative drawbacks.

So what if I miss a deadline? Who cares if my "so-called" friends decide to cancel on our plans last minute, for the tenth time? Or that I stayed up so late that my eyes are too swollen to put my contacts on the next morning?

It happens.

These little everyday imperfections shouldn't take me aback on my strive to be perfect. They should be given more credit.

If I look at it this way then life is perfectly imperfect...and that is how I accepted that life is not perfect. ;)

Show Me Some Positivity

 

Everyone gets tired and overwhelmed sometimes. It's only because we're human and no matter how much we love to do our jobs or be busy for own sake, we all need some sort of a break. 

Whether it's a break from your daily routine, people you have to deal with everyday, or all the things cluttering up your to-do list that you are told you have to do (all the things I'm tired of)...a break is very well needed.

I took this photo via Instagram yesterday and even captioned it "Perhaps smiling for an Instagram photo will help make feel a bit better and even brighten your day too!"

I actually try to smile through everything and I'm rarely ever not smiling. I try to keep things positive. 

I understand we all have stuff to do deal with, but what makes your problems bigger than mine? And what right do I have to say that I have more problems than you? How can one measure another's life with their own? 

My point is, we all should try to be positive no matter how tired we must be with the battles we face in life. It keeps others around us happy. It makes your life easier as well as others and well being positive is a good thing. We need more positivity in the world we live in.

xoxo,

Lost & Broken

     This morning I lost a small key chain that I received from a friend who recently traveled to Europe, I didn't think I needed it because I had many other key chains tied to my keys so I saved it. Trying to find it this morning, I realized I had no idea where I had placed it. Usually, my key chains are all saved together in one place, but this one wasn't. It's no big deal, of course not -it's just a little key chain, but for some reason it really gets to me every time I lose or break something of mine. 

    I searched for it all morning, going through my stuff and almost all my handbags and still I could not find it. I stopped searching after I thought how crazy it is of me to make such a big deal out of losing something so small. Then, I started thinking, am I actually this materialistic?

    Thinking about the significance of losing little trinkets and stuff we usually just put aside, perhaps I'm not so crazy. This little thing reminded me of how life seems to be. One day you lose or break something that you thought you would always have, but it never comes back. I bet everyone has a little thing they lost and wished they could one day find again, but forgot about it as days went by.

     I am not crazy (I'm not exactly normal, but that's another story), I came across a theory that relates to my own personality and explains how us humans can relate the little actions we take to the way we deal with the big things in life.

xoxo,